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Paradoxical vs Contradiction - What's the difference?

paradoxical | contradiction |

As an adjective paradoxical

is having self-contradictory properties.

As a noun contradiction is

(uncountable) the act of contradicting.

paradoxical

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Having self-contradictory properties.
  • * 1776 , (Adam Smith), , book II, ch 2
  • It is the ambiguity of language only which can make this proposition appear either doubtful or paradoxical . When properly explained and understood, it is almost self-evident.
  • * 1898 , , , Book 2, ch 4
  • It sounds paradoxical , but I am inclined to think that the weakness and insanity of the curate warned me, braced me, and kept me a sane man.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Ben Travers), title=(A Cuckoo in the Nest)
  • , chapter=4 citation , passage=By some paradoxical evolution rancour and intolerance have been established in the vanguard of primitive Christianity. Mrs. Spoker, in common with many of the stricter disciples of righteousness, was as inclement in demeanour as she was cadaverous in aspect.}}
  • * 1933 , & Hazel Heald,
  • It was tightly fitted with a cap of the same substance, and bore engraved figurings of an evidently decorative and possibly symbolic nature - conventional designs which seemed to follow a peculiarly alien, paradoxical , and doubtfully describable system of geometry.

    Synonyms

    * (having self-contradictory properties): oxymoronic, self-contradictory

    Antonyms

    * (having self-contradictory properties): self-consistent, self-evident

    contradiction

    Noun

  • (uncountable) The act of contradicting.
  • His contradiction of the proposal was very interesting.
  • (countable) A statement that contradicts itself.
  • There is a contradiction in what you say - she can't be both married and single.
  • (countable) a logical incompatibility among two or more elements or propositions
  • Marx believed that the contradictions of capitalism would lead to socialism.
  • (logic, countable) A proposition that is false for all values of its variables.
  • Synonyms

    * (proposition that is false for all values of its variables)

    Antonyms

    * (proposition that is false for all values of its variables) tautology

    Coordinate terms

    * (proposition that is false for all values of its variables) contingency, tautology